The recent BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit has dominated the global news headlines for weeks because of its growing membership and bold visions. Obviously, for developing countries, the summit’s discussions and outcomes were treated as a historical development, which could shape a completely new world order.
In Johannesburg, the leaders of BRICS invited six new countries to join their organization early next year. Although there were 23 applicants, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were chosen for their geopolitical significance. Between them, they represent three continents—Latin America, the Middle East and Africa— which have the potential power to be regional catalysts in helping to boost the BRICS profile.
The enlargement project was spearheaded by China, which has been pushing for new members from a…
